How much do you know about space?

By: Annette
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
How much do you know about space?
Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

Are you a future astronomer? This quiz will test your mettle. There's so much to know when it comes to space. It's so vast that it's unfathomable! We're going to test your basic knowledge of the heavens, and we promise that when you're done, you won't be able to come back down to Earth!
How many planets are in our solar system?
12
20
8
Just us!
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. No Pluto!!!!

Advertisement

How many other planets are out there?
Billions
Millions
Thousands
None
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There are billions of other planets out there in the cosmos. Just think of the possibilities!

Advertisement

Which is true about being in space?
Your skin turns blue
Your nails grow really fast
You get taller
Your hair falls out
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You actually get taller in space, because gravity isn't weighing you down!

Advertisement

How much does a space suit cost?
$5
$100
Nobody knows
$11 million
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

One space suit costs $11 million dollars! And it wasn't even designed by Prada!

Advertisement

What's the current estimate of how old our galaxy is?
1 million years
100 years
Over 13 billion years
2017 years
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Estimates vary, but that is quite a long time!

Advertisement

How long is one day on Mercury?
38 hours of Earth time
1 year of Earth time
59 days of Earth time
It's only night there
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

One Mercury day lasts for nearly 59 days of Earth time! That's a long day.

Advertisement

What would happen if you fell into a black hole?
You would die
You would be stretched like spaghetti
You would be transported
All of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You would literally stretch like spaghetti. That would hurt!

Advertisement

What creates our high and low tides?
Our orbit speed
Magic
Gravity from the sun and moon
Fish
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gravity from the sun and moon - especially the moon - create the high and low tides. Cool!

Advertisement

Who said, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind"?
Neil Armstrong
Lance Armstrong
Albert Einstein
Sting
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Neil Armstrong said these famous words when he was the first man to walk on the moon. There has been debate as to whether Armstrong said "for a man" or "for man."

Advertisement

What's the largest moon in the solar system?
Ours!
A moon of Venus
A moon of Mars
A moon of Jupiter
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ganymede, Jupiter's moon, is the largest in our solar system.

Advertisement

When's the next time we'll see Halley's comet?
Never again
Next year!
2061
5078
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It comes around about every 75 years. Put it on your calendar.

Advertisement

What is Saturn mostly made of?
Diamonds
Fairy dust
Gas
Kryptonite
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The planet is not solid, but almost entirely made of gas. It's a gas giant, in fact.

Advertisement

Which planet has the most rings?
Earth
Saturn
Jupiter
Neptune
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Saturn has the most rings, made of rock and ice. Some chunks are the size of large buildings!

Advertisement

Which of these is true about being in space?
You become more attractive
You can't think as clearly
Your feet peel
You stink
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Your feet actually peel when in space, because you're not using them to walk. The callouses fall off, leaving baby-soft skin!

Advertisement

How many Earths can you fit inside the sun?
2
100
1.3 million
None
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You can actually fit 1.3 million Earths inside the sun! That's pretty crazy.

Advertisement

What does the word "astronaut" mean in Greek?
Star sailor
Planet pirate
Jedi explorer
Bad a@#
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It translates into "star sailor." That's a pretty awesome title.

Advertisement

What was true about the first crew that went to the moon?
They had no life insurance
They were brave
They were pretty darn smart
All of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Brave and smart, but no life insurance? It was prohibitively expensive. To make up for it, they signed tons of envelope autographs while in quarantine, which a friend later postmarked on important dates, so their families could sell them if things went wrong.

Advertisement

What is the name of the program that analyzes radio signals, listening for signs of intelligent life in space?
NASA-HD
Alien Hunters, Inc.
Green People Police
SETI - the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

SETI is looking for aliens! They haven't found any yet.

Advertisement

Which is true about the universe?
It has no edge
It's not as big as we think
It's going to die soon
It's actually just one black hole
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

According to Einstein's theory of relativity, the universe is bending in a curve.

Advertisement

Who first said that the sun is the center of our solar system?
Einstein
Edison
Copernicus
Machiavelli
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The astronomer Copernicus was the first to state that the Earth goes round the sun, and not the other way around!

Advertisement

Which is true about International Space Station toilets?
They collect solid waste in plastic bags that are later compacted
Liquid waste is turned back into drinking water
The waste is pulled away with suction
All of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Yep, that's pretty much everything that you need to know about space toilets.

Advertisement

The gases that formed the Earth's atmosphere came from where?
The oceans
The moon
Exploding volcanoes
The tar pits
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Exploding volcanoes supplied the gases that formed the Earth's atmosphere. Thank you, volcanoes!

Advertisement

What is the sun's life expectancy?
100 more years
10 billion years
1 million years
The sun will not die
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

That's right - 10 billion years. It's about halfway through its life!

Advertisement

What was the first living creature to orbit the Earth?
A lizard
A dog
A horse
An elephant
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The dog known as Laika was sent up to space and he orbited the Earth, but sadly, he died. He will always be remembered.

Advertisement

What is the Great Red Spot​ on Jupiter's surface?
Blood!
Red dust
Crater where a comet hit the planet
A massive storm
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

That is a twisting, gaseous anticyclone - sort of like a giant hurricane. Nothing about that sounds like a good time.

Advertisement

What does "nebula" mean in Latin?
Alien
Gravity
Cloud
Light saber
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Nebula means "mist" or "cloud" in Latin. Cosmic clouds are known as nebulae.

Advertisement

How many other galaxies are in space?
A few hundred
No one knows
Five
Over a trillion
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

That's right; there are more than a trillion other galaxies out there! Wow.

Advertisement

What are the brightest objects in the universe?
Quasars
Fireworks
Christmas lights
Sulfuric nebulae
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Quasars are bits of matter that are pulled into a black hole and they glow brightly! That's the only upside to being pulled into a black hole.

Advertisement

What is a sidereal day?
A good day
An alien day
Close to an Earth day
A day in the life of the Milky Way galaxy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A sidereal day is about four minutes shorter than a regular Earth day. It's the time our planet takes to rotate on its axis, relative to distant stars.

Advertisement

Why do comets have tails?
They're literally melting
To steer themselves
It's from evolution
Comets have tails?
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

As a comet nears the sun, the exterior melts from the heat. There are actually two tails - one gas, and one made of dust particles.

Advertisement

Why is the inside faceplate of a space helmet sprayed before use?
To keep it from fogging
To keep it clean
To ward off space bugs
Nobody knows why
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The surface is sprayed with an anti-fog compound in order to keep the visor from misting. Seems pretty crucial.

Advertisement

The very furthest galaxies are doing what?
Getting closer to us
Dying
Moving away from us
Not moving at all
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The very furthest galaxies are expanding outward. The universe is getting bigger!

Advertisement

What is the name for the brightest star in each constellation?
The beta star
The alpha star
The super star
The best star
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The alpha star is the brightest, and the beta star is second.

Advertisement

How many artificial satellites are launched into space each year?
Nearly 100
1 million
1
10
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There are a lot of satellites up there! How do they not crash into each other?

Advertisement

Why is Pluto no longer classified as a planet?
It can't maintain a spherical shape
It is made of water
It is actually a moon
It can't clean up its own area
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 2006, Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet because it is too small to clear debris from its own orbit. That's one of the requirements of planet-ness.

Advertisement

You Got:
/35
Shutterstock